Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge

This refuge has two very different access points for exploration. At the Headquarters on US 1, trails wind through coastal scrub down to a sugar sand beach, lined with mangroves at the Intracoastal Waterway, where you can watch for waders like Yellow-crowned Night Herons, soaring Osprey and foraging Least Terns overhead. In the scrub in October and April, listen for songbirds like Black-throated Blue Warblers foraging just prior to departing on, or just after returning from their long overwater migrations. The beach access on Jupiter Island offers one of the last undeveloped stretches of Atlantic beachfront in South Florida. Watch for shorebirds like Wilson’s Plover, loons and Northern Gannets in winter, and Magnificent Frigatebirds overhead in summer. You may also see the marked nests of sea turtles as you enjoy the natural beauty of this area.